LOS ANGELES — Sheriff’s deputies were closely monitoring John Mark Karr’s mental state and physical safety as the JonBent Ramsey murder suspect waited Wednesday to be sent to Colorado.

A psychiatrist has met with Karr twice

since he was brought to Los Angeles County’s Twin Towers jail Sunday night after a flight from Thailand, said sheriff’s Lt. George Vanecek. Deputies were looking in on Karr every 15 minutes.

“Because of the nature of the accusations against him, we are monitoring him both for his emotional safety as well as his physical safety,” Vanecek said.

It was not known how long Karr would remain in Los Angeles. In a court hearing Tuesday, Karr agreed to be sent to Colorado, where Boulder County authorities have a murder warrant for his arrest in JonBent’s slaying. Boulder County officials have said they will not disclose the transfer arrangements.

JonBenet, who appeared in child beauty pageants, was found dead Dec. 26, 1996, in the basement of her Boulder home. For years the case appeared to have gone cold. Her mother, Patsy Ramsey, died in June.

Karr, a 41-year-old school teacher, suddenly was identified as a suspect last week while he was in Thailand. He told reporters there that he was present when JonBenet died and that her death was an accident.

In addition to first-degree murder, the counts against Karr in a sealed probable-cause arrest warrant include felony murder, first-degree kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping and sexual assault on a child.

Boulder prosecutors, however, have not disclosed their evidence against Karr.

Meanwhile, Karr’s relatives on Wednesday offered the movie and book rights to the family’s story in hopes of hiring a high-level attorney to defend him.

Karr’s father and brother hired, Larry Garrison, a Southern California actor, author and producer, to represent them in any media deals and to help them find a top attorney to represent Karr.

Garrison told The Associated Press that while the family’s film and book rights are secured, no money has changed hands yet. He said he promised the Karrs a portion of any money made by the effort.

Karr’s brother, Nate Karr, confirmed to the AP on Wednesday that Garrison now represents the Karr family.

Karr’s family insists he was in Georgia at the time of the slaying.

Georgia attorney Gary Harris, who had represented Wexford and Nate Karr recently, has said the family found a photo from Christmas 1996 that indicates Karr was in Atlanta, not Colorado, at the time of JonBenet’s death.

Harris no longer represents Wexford and Nate Karr, Garrison said, but a family photo has been turned over to Boulder authorities. He could not say what the photo shows.

“I can tell you they proclaim his innocence,” Garrison said. “They feel he was not there at the time, that some of the statements made by the press are absurd.”

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Associated Press Writers Harry R. Weber in Atlanta, Linda Deutsch and Jocelyn Gecker in Los Angeles, David Kravets in San Francisco, and Jon Sarche and Chase Squires in Denver contributed to this report.

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